This unit aims to prepare you for professional practice as a strategic or development assessment planner. It focuses on social, economic and environmental principles for contemporary planning practice; the systems for land use planning and environmental management in Australia, and the practice of statutory planning and development assessment in NSW.
By the end of this unit of study you will: understand the social, economic, and environmental principles underpinning contemporary planning practice; appreciate key legal and institutional processes for environmental planning in Australia and internationally; be familiar with the various planning state, regional, and local planning instruments in NSW, and understand when and how they apply to planning proposals. You will also be able to assess the social, economic, and environmental impacts of basic planning proposals, and justify these recommendations in professional planning reports. In preparing for professional practice you will gain an understanding of the principles, techniques and requirements for public participation in environmental planning and assessment; and the ethical responsibilities of land use planners, including respect for diversity and the importance of social equity, in guiding decision making processes and assessing planning proposals.

The aim of PLAN9063 Strategic Planning and Design is to provide students with grounding in the core knowledge and skills needed to practice as a contemporary planner. A key emphasis in the unit is understanding the skills needed to undertake strategic planning at a range of levels (both process and content). Strategic planning in one form or other is a generic process that underpins much of the work that planners and urban designers are involved in at varying spatial levels. This course will provide students with the basic skills required to function as a planner and it will also act as an introduction to a number of other units in the program by highlighting the connection between the work of a planner and the need to understand a range of different knowledge and skill areas. Basic skills may include basic demographic analysis, graphic presentation, governance audits, consultation strategies and survey tools, economic analysis, and GIS. In addition, this Unit of Study will enable students to develop generic skills such as group discussion, productive group work and organisation, negotiation skills and information literacy skills. This is an introductory core unit for the Urban Planning degree, a specialisation unit for the Master of Urbanism and an elective for the Urban Design degree.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with a range of concepts and methods which can be used to interpret the urban form and structure of cities. Organised thematically, and using a wide range of empirical examples from both Australia and internationally, students will encounter a range of theories and concepts that explain urban change and how it has impacted on theories of urban planning and design. Themes may vary slightly from year to year, but are likely to include the study of tall buildings, technology and cities, sustainability, mobilities, water infrastructure and urban design practice. The urban history and theory of Aboriginal urban planning, policy and design issues is a key element of the course. Students will be able to: critically review and interpret key planning and urban design texts/papers; construct and present basic arguments orally and in conjunction with graphics/images in illustrated documents; access and engage with key literature and other sources of knowledge; and use basic conceptual frameworks about planning arguments and stories for both the overlapping fields of urban planning and urban design. Interpreting the built form around you from an historical lens is an important learning outcome.

The aim of PLAN9045 Economics for the Built Environment is to introduce the key economic theories, processes and techniques used by contemporary urban planners. This unit of study has two parts. In the first part of the unit, students are introduced to the economic drivers shaping city and regional development outcomes, and the location and form of different land uses and how they evolve. The second part of the unit equips students with core technical skills, including project evaluation, economic impact analysis, development feasibility, and introductory aspects of public finance. A key focus of the course is to equip students with a very good working knowledge of property feasibility analysis.

This unit is concerned with land use and infrastructure and where that intersection occurs and how it influences the shifting urban form through planning processes. The unit emphasises conceptual knowledge, with examples and case studies to demonstrate the application of land use concepts and infrastructure planning in best practice. Students are encouraged to think independently, creatively and critically in developing an understanding of, and practical knowledge about all different types of infrastructure operating at different scales: national / state / metropolitan / district / local / site.

This unit is to introduce students to key concepts and basic principles in urban design through lectures and studio-based tutorials. By taking full advantage of the neighbourhoods around campus as our laboratory for urban design analysis and intervention, this unit will walk students through deep experiential, historical, and spatial study and engagement with Sydney as a place and urbanity. Through the critical interrogation of selected study areas, this unit will help students understand the urban environment where human beings operate physically, culturally and socially. The studio will engage students with critical thinking, collaborative work and constructive discussion, all of which will serve as the foundation on which the assessments will be based. Emerging out of a process of enquiry about the city, students will develop critical observation, visual documentation, map reading, systematic urban analysis, basic urban intervention, and visual, verbal and written communication skills. These skills will help students to participate with effectiveness in the urban design studios and integrated urbanism studio.

The planning report is a substantial piece of research conducted over one semester. It takes the form of report (between 10,000 and 12,000 words) on an approved urban and regional planning subject of your choice and/or maybe based on a priority thematic topic agreed with a local Council in the Sydney metropolitan area. You will be required to participate in a small number of relevant studios / meetings in developing and presenting this work. For example, in 2013, planning report topics evolved out of forum with officers from Liverpool City Council, for example, and were subsequently presented to Council officers at the end of semester. The objective of the planning report is therefore to advance your knowledge and analytical skills in a particular relevant and topical area and so develop a "professional edge" in a real world planning situation. The expected learning outcomes of the report include the ability to: think critically about a planning problem and develop an appropriate research methodology or analytical approach to address it; identify and access appropriate sources of information, research and literature relevant to urban and regional planning issues; undertake primary and secondary research relevant to problems in planning practice; present your findings in a way that demonstrates academic and professional competence. A planning report generally includes: a literature review to delineate a planning problem, concern or gap in knowledge; a statement of research aims or objectives, as well as research questions; an explanation of research methods; presentation and analysis of data; discussion of conclusions. Permission to continue the Planning Report is subject to a satisfactory research proposal which must be approved by your supervisor as per the Unit of Study outline timeline. Supervisors from the URP program are allocated at the end of week 1 of semester and students work with their supervisors on an agreed timetable throughout semester. Planning reports are due at the end of the first week of exams for the semester in which you are enrolled.

The planning dissertation is a substantial piece of research, conducted full-time over one semester (by enrolment in PLAN9010 and PLAN9011), or part-time over two semesters (by consecutive enrolment in these units). It takes the form of a document (between 15,000 and 25,000 words) on an approved urban and regional planning subject of your choice. There is also an option for students to prepare a shorter document suitable for publication in a refereed journal. The planning dissertation is an opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in a particular area. For those intending to undertake further academic study, the dissertation also provides an opportunity for you to develop your research and inquiry skills. The objective of the dissertation is to allow you to develop higher order research and analytic skills by undertaking an in-depth study of your own selection. The expected learning outcomes of the dissertation include the ability to: think critically about a planning problem and develop an appropriate research methodology or analytical approach to address it; identify and access appropriate sources of information, research and literature relevant to urban and regional planning issues; undertake primary and secondary research; present your findings in a way that demonstrates academic and professional competence. A dissertation generally includes: a strong literature review to delineate a problem or gap in knowledge; a statement of research aims or objectives, as well as research questions and/or hypotheses; explanation of research methods; presentation and analysis of data; discussion of conclusions; an abstract. Permission to continue the Planning Dissertation is subject to a satisfactory research proposal which must be approved by your supervisor by week 3 of semester. The dissertation will be marked by two examiners and may include an oral presentation. Dissertations are due at the end of the first week of exams for the semester in which you are enrolled in Planning Dissertation 2. Note that only one submission is required for both Planning Dissertation 1 and 2. It is not possible to complete Dissertation 1 independently of Dissertation 2. Students who intend a shorter project should enrol in PLAN9018 Planning Report.

The planning dissertation is a substantial piece of research, conducted full time over one semester (by enrolment in PLAN9010 and PLAN9011), or part time over two semesters (by consecutive enrolment in these units). It takes the form of a document (between 15,000 and 25,000 words) on an approved urban and regional planning subject of your choice. There is also an option for students to prepare a shorter document suitable for publication in a refereed journal. The planning dissertation is an opportunity to advance your knowledge and skills in a particular area. For those intending to undertake further academic study, the dissertation also provides an opportunity for you to develop your research and inquiry skills. The objective of the dissertation is to allow you to develop higher order research and analytic skills by undertaking an in depth study of your own selection. The expected learning outcomes of the dissertation include the ability to: think critically about a planning problem and develop an appropriate research methodology or analytical approach to address it; identify and access appropriate sources of information, research and literature relevant to urban and regional planning issues; undertake primary and secondary research; present your findings in a way that demonstrates academic and professional competence. A dissertation generally includes: a strong literature review to delineate a problem or gap in knowledge; a statement of research aims or objectives, as well as research questions and / or hypotheses; explanation of research methods; presentation and analysis of data; discussion of conclusions; an abstract. Permission to continue the Planning Dissertation is subject to a satisfactory research proposal which must be approved by your supervisor by week 3 of semester. The dissertation will be marked by two examiners and may include an oral presentation. Dissertations are due at the end of the first week of exams for the semester in which you are enrolled in Planning Dissertation 2. Note that only one submission is required for both Planning Dissertation 1 and 2. It is not possible to complete Dissertation 1 independently of Dissertation 2. Students who intend a shorter project should enrol in PLAN9018 Planning Report.

This unit is designed to fill a significant gap in the evolution of the urban and regional planning curriculum by focusing on the concept of informal urbanism in a developing and developed country context. This unit is designed for planners and urban designers who may wish to work in the field of international development and/or who have an interest in better understanding urbanisation, especially informal urbanism in the Asia and Pacific Region. The unit is run in both semesters, one as an overseas field trip and the other as an intensive in Sydney. The international field trip will be a collaboration with the highly esteemed Insititute of Technology Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, and is based around the theme of informal urbanism as expressed in a kampung (informal settlement). For the intensive in Sydney, students from ITB will participate in class activities.
By the end of this unit of study you should have an understanding of the (i) key readings on the dimensions of informal urbanism, (ii) key policy themes of poverty, spatial justice, and environmental sustainability, (iii) tools to explore the nature of informal urbanism, including understanding patterns and types of urban form and structure and their adaptation and transformation at the local level, and (iv) cross-cultural considerations in planning and urban design. The unit reflects the increasing internationalisation of Australian planning practice in contributing to better managing urbanisation, especially within the Asia and Pacific Region. It caters to the needs of local and international students intending to work on urban and regional planning projects internationally and wishing to better understand how the city is made and shaped including understanding dimensions of urban complexity in the formal and informal city.

This unit introduces the key policy and planning issues associated with the "production" and "consumption" of housing. These range from the physical location and sustainable design of new housing, through to the dynamics of the housing market, and the contribution of housing strategies to urban and regional revitalisation. The unit focuses on emerging themes in housing and urban development, and develops practical skills in designing strategic planning, policy, and project based responses to encourage more affordable, appropriate and environmentally sustainable housing outcomes for urban and regional Australia. By the end of this unit of study you should understand the basic structure and operation of housing markets; be familiar with important policy objectives for housing within the broader context of sustainable urban or regional development, such as sustainability, affordability and appropriateness of design; and understand the relationships between these policy objectives and the land use planning framework. You will also learn the basic skills associated with the housing development process, from financial feasibility through to the design and approval of a particular project.

This unit is concerned with using GIS to analyse planning problems and undertake policy analyses. The unit will include a comprehensive introduction to mapping and the use of GIS: data structures, topology, projections, spatial and non-spatial queries. Australian census products will be described and students will be expected to analyse census statistics using GIS maps. The role of GIS in coordinating various forms of information for policy analyses, preparing master plans, in presenting information for development control, impact analyses and wider management purposes will also be covered. The use of GIS to support visualisation will be covered, using examples about designing development projects and planning instruments. Finally, the various forms of distributing maps to the public and policy-makers will be discussed. The unit integrates the hands-on learning of GIS software with a `research-based` approach. Teaching will involve short lectures, studios and workshops. Assessment will be on a series of smaller assignments and a larger report prepared by each student that integrates GIS-based (and other) graphics into a coherent policy analysis. In addition, each student will make oral presentations on their work in studio sessions.

The unit explores the complexity and evolution of city form and the influences of planning and design processes and practice. Using Australian and international case studies, the unit will investigate how urban functions, cultural values; technological, socio-economic and political circumstances; and design theory and practice shape the form of specific cities over time.

The course is offered with a strong commitment to understanding the relationship of urban design and form to Aboriginal culture and Country including practical examples of how to embed these into practice. It also notes the importance of understanding how concepts such as grids, place names, land ownership patterns, and ‘expert’ approaches to land and water management have been part of colonial planning systems, and thinking through ways of decolonising these approaches.

This unit will introduce the conceptual bases for sustainable development and explore how principles of sustainability can be introduced into land use planning and urban design, including environmental management and multi-criteria evaluation methodologies in three modules. The unit will examine the evolution of urban areas in relation to their biophysical setting. This will lead to an understanding and appreciation of the urban ecology of a city in terms of the flows of materials, resources and energy, and the challenges presented by climate change and peak oil. The principles of sustainability and the history and development of concepts of urban sustainability will be demonstrated through case studies. Assessments will explore a student's learning of the methods and frameworks for evaluating and measuring sustainability that are introduced in this unit.

This unit builds the skills and knowledge needed to design and implement forms of dialogue, deliberation and community engagement that are most effective. In the context of major changes to the way planning and design is practiced, this is an opportunity to develop methods to understand pluralistic opinions, needs, preferences and citizen power. This course offers a chance for student to design, deliver and analyse a public involvement process on a current hot topic. The intensive format is a stimulating combination of practical experience and scholarly learning, involving people working in the field of community engagement - planners, designers, consultants, and government policy-makers.

The discipline of Science of Cities examines relationships between the physical form of cities and the social, cultural, economic, technological and spatial processes that give rise to this form. As technology evolves and changes, so do the ways in which we make and think about our cities. In this era of unprecedented and fast-accelerating changes, digital technologies are reshaping the ways in which we measure, sense, conceive of, design and plan for our cities. As a result, we collect and store large amounts of data on every aspect of the urban environment, but it is as yet unclear how this data can be used to inform evidence based planning and urban management. In particular, it is unclear how these quantitative methods and data driven frameworks may be best leveraged for planning and designing just, equitable, sustainable, liveable, and affordable cities. This unit of study will introduce the principles of science of cities and the tools, methods, algorithms and techniques on big urban data that enable transformative ways of thinking about, designing and planning for a fast urbanizing world. Fundamentals of programming with big urban data will be introduced through the Python programming language (Jupyter Notebooks) and open source Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. Emphasis will be placed on developing understanding of urban structure and fast and slow dynamics shaping this structure, and on the use of data to develop performance indicators for cities, in particular targeting the spatial and temporal measurement accessibility, affordability, segregation, displacement, social exclusion, and disadvantage. This transdisciplinary unit of study will be relevant for designers, planners, engineers, geographers, economists, physicists and data scientists interested in modelling urban systems.

Transport and infrastructure plays an important role both in terms of personal mobility as well as accessibility of businesses and their transportation needs. This unit provides a comprehensive introduction to the role of transportation and infrastructure within the economy. The key concepts and theories needed for management of transport and infrastructure are introduced along with the analysis and problem-solving skills needed for confident decision making. In providing the foundational knowledge for students in transport and infrastructure, the unit also introduces students to the professional communication skills needed. Examples and case studies are drawn from all modes of transport and infrastructure.

The aims of the course are to introduce students to broad range of specialists from the related fields of architectural conservation and related disciplines who specialize in the conservation of traditional building fabric; to introduce students to the appropriate and accepted methods traditional construction and of the conservation traditional architectural materials; and to familiarise students with the relevant literature pertaining to the domain. The objectives of the course are to allow the student to develop a broad understanding of excellent contemporary conservation practice in the conservation of traditional materials; to develop a broad understanding of traditional building methods; to develop an understanding of good and bad practice in the conservation of traditional materials. Students will be expected to demonstrate the ability to research and prepare an academic paper related to the domain.
Class preparation: 1 hour/week; assessment preparation: 15-20 hours/semester

This unit will introduce students to key controversies, theoretical propositions and practical innovations that have driven the historical development of heritage conservation. The unit covers ideas and examples from the ancient world until the present, with the main focus being on the period from 1850 until today.
The aim of the unit is to help students to arrive at a clear understanding of the concepts and practices that define heritage conservation and to promote a strong historical perspective on the field. Students will consider, for example, the meaning of, and differences between, conservation, restoration and reconstruction; the different forms of historical value that inform our place protection efforts; the function of conservation protocols such as the Venice Charter, Burra Charter and Hoi An Protocols; the importance of advocacy and activism; the growth of world heritage and its relationship to human rights and cultural rights; and the ideas of cultural landscape and historic urban landscape. The unit also challenges students to think about areas of practice and theory that challenge traditional approaches and knowledge such as indigenous heritage and the conservation of modernism.

New Design in Old Settings explores the architectural approaches, conservation methodologies and planning issues relevant to situations when new meets old in the built environment. The unit highlights architecturally innovative reuse projects, exemplary additions and alterations to historic places, and architecturally distinguished new buildings in historic precincts and landscapes. We also examine historic theming, facadism and some of the design ideas and planning compromises that have blighted historic places.
The aims of the unit are to develop an understanding of the history of designing and building new buildings in old settings; to develop an understanding of the major theoretical and practical issues of designing new buildings in old settings; and to develop an ability to assess critically the appropriateness of new development in culturally significant places. Students will develop analytical skills in assessing design strategies and develop confidence in making critical judgements about design propositions in historically significant settings.

This intensive unit is a practically focused introduction to the techniques and bodies of knowledge essential to conserving modern buildings and their materials. Expert conservation architects and tradespeople will describe and lead practical demonstrations of techniques in conservation. Students will be challenged to assess and understand forms of decay and to prescribe appropriate interventions to mitigate and prevent such decay. They will have the opportunity to work with materials and inspect work underway on real conservation projects at culturally significant buildings.
This unit provides an overview of key issues in building conservation as well as a close-up view of the conservation of modern buildings. The unit explores the distinctive materials used in Twentieth Century architecture, such as reinforced concrete, as well as modern building systems such as glazed curtain walls and stone cladding systems. The unit will assist students to recognise different uses of these materials, understand the basic tools and techniques required to assess their condition as well as the best practice approaches to their conservation.
Upon successful completion of the unit of study, students will be able to:
Understand the behavior of a range of modern building materials;
Recognise threats to building materials from moisture, wind, biological and chemical attack and other forces that lead to deterioration;
Record a building in drawings and photographs;
Document and assess the condition of the fabric of a building;
Develop an approach to conserving the fabric of a building.